A task allocation optimizer for software construction

Task allocation during the construction stage of software engineering is complex and challenging. First, engineers must chart a path between the often conflicting objectives of time and quality. Second, a huge productivity variance exists across the spectrum of practicing software developers. Properly handling this variance amid those time and quality pressures is a tricky management problem. Multiobjective optimization might provide the answer. This emerging research area generates optimal solutions for projects with many objectives. An experienced decision-maker analyzes these solutions and selects the best one. Here, we describe such an approach and demonstrate it with a problem involving the allocation of software construction tasks among a team of software developers with varying degrees of skill.